改邪归正

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: gǎi xié guī zhèng
• English Translation: To turn over a new leaf (forsaking evil for the right path)
• Idiom Composition: 「改」（To change, reform, or correct.）＋「邪」（Evil, wicked, or crooked (referring to bad deeds or a wrong path).）＋「归」（To return to or go back to.）＋「正」（The right path, justice, or righteousness.）
• Meaning: To abandon past wrongdoings, crimes, or bad habits and return to a righteous path. It refers to a fundamental moral or legal transformation from a 'bad' state to a 'good' state and is used as a term of praise.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「改邪归正」 contains the following nuances:

• Moral Transformation: Because it implies a movement from 'Evil' to 'Good,' it is reserved for rehabilitation from crime, delinquency, or serious vices. It is not used for correcting minor mistakes or trivial errors.
• Action-Oriented Resolve: The idiom emphasizes that it is not just a verbal apology, but that the person's actual behavior and lifestyle have fundamentally changed.

3. Usage

「改邪归正」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Rehabilitation and Social Reintegration: Used to praise former criminals or delinquent youths who have settled their past and started an honest life.
  • Example:「他出狱后彻底改邪归正，现在是一名受人尊敬的社区志愿者。」
    （After being released from prison, he completely turned over a new leaf and is now a respected community volunteer.）
• Persuasion and Advice: Used when trying to convince someone involved in wrongdoing to stop and start over. It carries a serious and weighty tone.
  • Example:「只要你肯改邪归正，大家都会给你第二次机会的。」
    （As long as you are willing to mend your ways, everyone will give you a second chance.）
• Storytelling and Character Arcs: Used to describe plot developments where a villain becomes an ally or a prodigal son becomes serious about life.
  • Example:「那个反派角色在故事最后改邪归正，牺牲自己救了主角。」
    （The villain reformed at the end of the story, sacrificing himself to save the protagonist.）

Additional Examples:

1. 父母一直盼望着那个沉迷赌博的儿子能改邪归正。
   （The parents have always hoped that their son, who is addicted to gambling, will return to the right path.）
2. 浪子回头金不换，他既然已经改邪归正，我们就不要再提他的过去了。
   （A prodigal son who returns is more precious than gold; since he has already turned over a new leaf, let's not bring up his past again.）
3. 这部电影讲述了一个黑帮老大改邪归正的感人故事。
   （This movie tells a touching story of a gang leader who gives up his life of crime to become a good person.）
4. 要想改邪归正，首先必须认识到自己的错误。
   （To reform oneself, one must first recognize their own mistakes.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• Origin: This idiom is derived from the Song Dynasty Buddhist text Jingde Record of the Transmission of the Lamp (景德传灯录), which contains the phrase 'Now one should abandon the evil and return to the correct to enter the Buddhist vehicle.' Originally, it was a Buddhist term referring to abandoning delusion (evil) to reach enlightenment (correctness).
• Cultural Context: It is frequently used alongside the expression 浪子回头 (làng zǐ huí tóu), meaning 'the return of the prodigal son.' This reflects a traditional Chinese moral value that a person's redemption and return to society is of immense value, often described as being 'more precious than gold.'

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 弃暗投明 (qì àn tóu míng): To leave the darkness and come into the light; often used for political or organizational defections to the righteous side.
  • 洗心革面 (xǐ xīn gé miàn): To wash one's heart and change one's face; to thoroughly reform one's character and appearance to become a new person.
  • 将功补过 (jiāng gōng bǔ guò): To atone for one's faults by good deeds.link
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 执迷不悟 (zhí mí bù wù): To persist in one's errors and refuse to come to one's senses.
  • 死不悔改 (sǐ bù huǐ gǎi): To be incorrigible; to refuse to repent even until death.
  • 喜新厌旧 (xǐ xīn yàn jiù): To like the new and dislike the old.link
  • 不择手段 (bù zé shǒu duàn): To achieve a goal by any means necessary, regardless of morality or legality.link

6. Summary

改邪归正 (gǎi xié guī zhèng) describes the act of leaving behind a life of misconduct to become an upright person. Rather than just reflecting on a mistake, it signifies a heavy shift in one's way of life from 邪 (xié), meaning 'evil' or 'crooked,' to 正 (zhèng), meaning 'correct' or 'righteous.' It is commonly used in positive contexts such as the rehabilitation of former criminals or the redemption of a fictional villain.